Design Is Creating Serious Concerns

[n8rofwyo]

I began drawing full scale blueprints for a modified PRS Macarty this weekend. Got the width at nut, width at bridge, width at body join, neck thickness, headstock angle, neck angle, dovetail tenon/mortise dimensions..... Then it occured to me that the neck humbucker is going to seriously impede the neck joint.

The issue I see is that there is almost no bearing for the glue joint to hold the neck in place since the neck humbucker is tucked up next to the end of the fingerboard.

This is my first attempt at a set neck. As I see it now, I have two solutions. 1) make a tenon that is long enought to go past the neck humbucker. This should give the stressed strength I need to keep the neck from snapping off, on the other hand it will make the joint visible and possibly a bitch to finish. 2) make a short but deep tenon that is covered by the humbucker, but is within the confines of the depth of the guitar.

Guitar specs as stands:

25.5 scale

HSH coil configuration

Hipshot Baby Grand Hardtail

Wizard II style neck

2" thick mahogony body that will be an uncapped solid finish

I am just unsure as to which way to best address this problem on paper before I begin wasting wood. I ran searches across the forum and came up with some really good info (just nothing that was a solution to this quandry)

Thanks for anything ya have to offer.

Nate Robinson

[rhoads56]

take a look at a gibson SG

Remember bolt on guitars have four pissy little screws holding in the neck

Remember the gluing surface area on the sides of the neck

[Maiden69]

I suggest you go to Perrys site and look to the inprogress pics of the vine guitar or go to Mykas site and look at the hundred of pictures in progress that he have and you will see what you need to do!

It will take a few minutes of your time but the information those pics alone hold is worth hours of experimentation.

[Mattia]

What the guys said up there. Your tenon should go deeper than your neck pickup, and extend at least somewhat into the neck pickup pocket. Remember your fingerboard does extend over the body at least a little, that you should only route your neck pickup pocket as deep as it needs to be, and no more.

On the last few guitars I've done (all chambered, carved tops, somewhat carved inside of tops depending on the chambering) I've done a long tenon that extends all the way to the bridge pickup (not sure it helps much, but it can't hurt), which I leave proud of the gluing face on the top, meaning it's a bit fiddlier to fit (need a matching mortise in the top), but it removes any chance at all of gluing the top on slightly crooked, and I like the positive 'linkage' it provides between the three pieces (2 parts of the body and the neck).

Neck ready to glue (I glue the fingerboard on and shape the neck after the whole thing's together). The protruding section will be sawn/planed/routed so it's paralell with the top of the guitar back (the mahogany bit)

http://www.xs4all.nl/~mvalente/guitarpics/pat_body_35.jpg

Shot with the top on

http://www.xs4all.nl/~mvalente/guitarpics3/Pat/body01.jpg

[guitar2005]

On the last few guitars I've done (all chambered, carved tops, somewhat carved inside of tops depending on the chambering) I've done a long tenon that extends all the way to the bridge pickup (not sure it helps much, but it can't hurt), which I leave proud of the gluing face on the top, meaning it's a bit fiddlier to fit (need a matching mortise in the top), but it removes any chance at all of gluing the top on slightly crooked, and I like the positive 'linkage' it provides between the three pieces (2 parts of the body and the neck).

Shot with the top on

http://www.xs4all.nl/~mvalente/guitarpics3/Pat/body01.jpg

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That sounds a little excessive. all you need is to extend into the humbuker cavity.

That being said, is there a neck angle to worry about on the PRS design?

[Mattia]

Heh, it is a little excessive, yes. Kind of a half-way between a regular set neck and a neck through, in some ways.

And yes, you need a neck angle on most PRS style guitars.

[n8rofwyo]

Mattia's method occured to me, but I won't be using a cap, so I was worried about dressing up the neck joint that will be visible between the neck hb and the single coil....

Perry: what would you say would be a safe surface area of glue for a set neck. I don't expect a precise number, obviously, just a ballpark number as a guide.

I'm off to look at a few of the sites of our elite as suggested, (no idea why I didn't think of that myself)

Thank you for you time and patience.

Nate Robinson

[Mattia]

'safe' surface area: as much as is enough. Seriously, though, look at the pics on Myka's and Perry's sites, that should give you an idea of what constitutes a nice, good hold. Or even shots of Les Paul neck joints, or various shots of PRS necks on (dare I say it) Ed Roman's otherwise filled-with-nonsense website.

[n8rofwyo]

After having a close look at the work of Mattia, and Perry it appears that the design I have is suited to using a cap and that is about it. Small wonder that that is how PRS does it as well. I suppose that is why we draw out projects first, though, right? Anyway, thank you all for all the input and patience.

Back to the drawing board,

Nate Robinson